Point of View
True or False: A first-person point of view uses the pronouns "I" or "we."
True
What is theme?
The theme of a story is the big idea or message that the author wants to share with the readers. It is usually the lesson that the character learns.
What 6 questions can we answer to help us write a complete summary?
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How
What is perspective?
Perspective is how the events of the story are told because of a characters experiences, beliefs, knowledge, feelings, thoughts, etc.
What abbreviation can help you create a complete constructed response?
CER
Which point of view does the narrator talk to the reader directly using pronouns "you," "your," and "yourself?"
2nd Person
Extend this topic to a possible theme: courage.
**Example Answers:**
-Standing up for what is right, takes courage.
-It takes courage to persist in the face of opposition or defeat.
True or False: When summarizing, it is important to include every detail.
False. You only include the most important parts.
What's the difference between point of view and perspective?
Point of view is WHO is telling the story. Perspective is HOW the narrator is telling the events of the story based on their feelings, thoughts, opinions, etc.
In a constructed response, what does the "C" in "CER" stand for?
Claim
Ethan clutched his soccer ball tightly as he walked to the field. He was determined to make the winning goal today. He could feel the pressure building; this was his chance to prove himself to the team. Ethan watched the other players warming up, but he didn’t pay much attention to their chatter or what they were thinking. All that mattered was his own focus and determination.
What point of view is this passage written in?
3rd Person - Limited
Lena and her neighbor Sam had been best friends for years, but lately, they had been arguing over little things. One day, they got into a big fight about who got to use the basketball first. Both were upset, and they stopped talking to each other. A few days later, Lena saw Sam struggling to carry a heavy box into his house. Without thinking, she ran over to help him. They both laughed when the box nearly tipped over, and they realized how much they missed each other's company. Lena and Sam agreed that their friendship was more important than any argument, and they promised to work together from now on.
What is the theme from this passage?
The theme of the passage is "Friendship is more important than disagreements, and working together can help resolve conflicts."
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Aisha, Carlos, and Tilly decided to clean up the park near their neighborhood because it was full of trash after a big community event. They brought gloves, trash bags, and recycling bins, and spent hours picking up litter. They wanted to make the park a nicer place for everyone to enjoy and to help protect the environment. By the end of the day, they had collected ten bags of trash, and the park looked beautiful again.
Summarize this passage using the 5W +1H questions.
Aisha, Carlos, and Mei cleaned up the park near their neighborhood on Saturday afternoon because it was full of trash after a community event, and they wanted to make it nicer for everyone and protect the environment.
This summary answers:
Passage 1:
I was so nervous about the big soccer game on Saturday. I practiced every day after school because I wanted to make sure I played well and helped my team win. But when the coach announced the starting lineup, my name wasn’t on it. I felt so disappointed and worried that all my hard work was for nothing. I sat on the bench, feeling like I let everyone down.
Passage 2:
I couldn’t wait for the big soccer game on Saturday. As the coach, I knew how important it was for each player to feel confident and ready. I decided to put Diego on the starting lineup because he’s been practicing hard and really wanted to prove himself. I noticed Alex, who’s usually one of our strongest players, looked upset about not starting. But I knew I needed to give everyone a chance to shine, and I hoped Alex would understand that it wasn’t about him not being good enough—it was about giving others a chance, too.
Compare the narrators' perspectives in the two passages. How does each narrator feel about the situation, and how do their feelings shape their view of what’s happening?
**Example Answer:**
In Passage 1, the narrator feels sad and nervous because they weren’t picked to start the soccer game, even though they practiced a lot. They think all their hard work was for nothing and feel like they let the team down. This makes them feel left out and disappointed.
In Passage 2, the coach feels good about choosing Diego to start the game because they wanted to give him a chance to play. They know Alex might be upset about not starting, but the coach wanted to give everyone a chance to play. The coach’s view is about fairness and helping all the players get a turn.
When comparing the two perspectives, we see that Alex feels upset and let down, while the coach is focused on giving all the players a fair chance. Alex’s feelings are about being left out, while the coach’s view is about making sure everyone gets a chance to play.
In a constructed response, what does the "E" in "CER" stand for?
Evidence
Mia was excited about her upcoming birthday party, but her best friend, Emma, was worried she wouldn’t be able to make it because of her soccer tournament. Meanwhile, Katie, their classmate, secretly hoped Mia would invite her, even though she hadn’t spoken to her in weeks. As the teacher handed out the party invitations, Mia hoped everyone would be as excited as she was, completely unaware of Emma's concerns or Katie's quiet anticipation.
In the passage above, the narrator describes the events as if they knew everyone's thoughts. What point of view is this?
3rd Person - Omniscient
Olivia loved her grandmother's garden, filled with vibrant flowers and buzzing bees. Her grandmother spent hours every day tending to the plants, and Olivia admired her dedication. One summer, Olivia decided she wanted to grow her own flowers. She planted seeds, watered them, and eagerly waited. But after a few weeks, only a few tiny sprouts had appeared. Frustrated, Olivia was ready to give up. Her grandmother encouraged her to keep going, reminding her that patience and care were the keys to a beautiful garden. Olivia listened, and with time, her garden bloomed, teaching her that great things take time and effort.
What is the theme from this passage?
The theme of the passage is "Patience and persistence are necessary to achieve something worthwhile."
On Wednesday morning, Malik, Priya, and Sofia noticed that the school garden was overgrown with weeds and some plants were dying. After school, they decided to take action and spent a few hours pulling weeds, planting new flowers, and watering the garden. They worked hard because they wanted the garden to look beautiful again for their classmates and to create a space where everyone could relax and enjoy nature. By the time they were done, the garden was tidy and full of colorful flowers.
Summarize this passage using the 5W + 1H questions.
On Wednesday, Malik, Priya, and Sofia worked on the school garden after noticing it was overgrown with weeds because they wanted to make it beautiful and enjoyable for their classmates.
This summary answers:
Here's a short passage for 5th graders to compare the narrator's perspective:
Passage 1:
I couldn’t believe it when I saw the giant treehouse my friends had built without me. They didn’t even tell me they were working on it. I felt left out and disappointed. Why didn’t they invite me to help? I thought we were supposed to be a team. I wanted to climb up and see it, but it didn’t feel the same without being part of the fun.
Passage 2:
We worked so hard on the treehouse all week! It was supposed to be a surprise for Jamie, and we couldn’t wait to see the look on their face when he saw it. We knew Jamie would love it, and that’s why we didn’t say anything—it was all part of the plan. When Jamie arrived, though, he seemed upset. We hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings; we just wanted it to be the best surprise ever.
How does each narrator feel, and how do their feelings affect the way they view the situation?
**Example Answer:**
In Passage 1, the narrator feels left out and disappointed because their friends built a treehouse without them. They believe they were excluded and are upset because they thought they were supposed to be part of the team. This makes the narrator view the situation negatively, as they feel hurt by not being included.
In Passage 2, the narrator is one of the friends who built the treehouse. They are excited and happy because they worked hard to create a surprise for Jamie, the narrator of the first passage. They didn't tell Jamie about the treehouse because they wanted to surprise him, not realizing it would make Jamie feel left out. This narrator sees the situation positively, as they thought they were doing something nice for their friend.
The different perspectives show that while one narrator feels hurt, the other is excited and had good intentions, but there was a misunderstanding about how it would make their friend feel.
In a constructed response, what does the "R" in "CER" stand for?
Reasoning
Liam stared at the difficult math problem on his test, feeling unsure if he could solve it before time ran out.
Rewrite this sentence in 1st person point of view.
**Example Answer:**
I stared at the difficult math problem on my test, feeling unsure if I could solve it before time ran out.
Maria loved to paint more than anything in the world. She spent hours after school mixing colors and creating beautiful pictures, but she never showed them to anyone. One day, her art teacher announced a school art contest, and Maria decided to enter, even though she was nervous. She worked tirelessly, perfecting every detail of her painting. When the results were announced, Maria didn’t win first place, but her painting was praised by many, and she realized that sharing her art was more important than winning. Maria learned that having the courage to put herself out there was a reward all on its own.
What is the theme from this passage?
The theme of the passage is "Having the courage to share your talents is more important than winning."
On a chilly Friday afternoon, Kiara and Luis noticed that the animal shelter in their town was running low on supplies. They decided to help by organizing a fundraiser at school to collect food, blankets, and toys for the animals. Over the weekend, they made posters, set up donation boxes, and spread the word among their classmates and neighbors. They wanted to make sure the animals had everything they needed to be comfortable and happy. By Monday, they had gathered a large amount of supplies, which they delivered to the shelter.
Kiara and Luis organized a fundraiser to help their town's animal shelter by collecting food, blankets, and toys for the animals because the shelter was running low.
This summary answers:
Here's another set of passages for comparing the narrators' perspectives:
Passage 1:
I was so excited about our class talent show. I had practiced my dance routine every day and couldn’t wait to perform. But when the day finally came, I froze on stage. I forgot my moves, and everyone stared at me. I felt embarrassed and ran off stage. I wanted to disappear. I thought my friends would laugh at me, and I was sure I had ruined everything.
Here's another set of passages for comparing the narrators' perspectives:
Passage 1:
I was so excited about our class talent show. I had practiced my dance routine every day and couldn’t wait to perform. But when the day finally came, I froze on stage. I forgot my moves, and everyone stared at me. I felt embarrassed and ran off stage. I wanted to disappear. I thought my friends would laugh at me, and I was sure I had ruined everything.
Passage 2:
I was sitting in the audience during the talent show, cheering for everyone. When it was Maya’s turn to dance, I was so excited because I knew how hard she had practiced. But when she froze on stage, I felt so bad for her. I wanted to shout out and cheer her on, but she ran off before I could. I hoped she knew that everyone just wanted her to do her best and that no one was mad at her. I knew she had tried really hard, and I wanted her to be proud of herself no matter what.
Compare the narrators' perspectives in the two passages. How does each narrator feel about the situation, and how do their feelings shape their view of what happened?
In Passage 1, Maya feels really embarrassed because she forgot her dance moves during the talent show. She thinks everyone is staring at her, and she’s afraid her friends might laugh, so she runs off the stage, feeling like she messed everything up. Maya’s view is all about her feeling bad and like she failed.
In Passage 2, the narrator is someone watching in the audience who was excited to see Maya perform. When Maya froze on stage, they felt sorry for her and wanted to cheer her on. They didn’t think she ruined anything and just wanted her to feel proud because everyone knew how hard she worked. This narrator’s view is more positive—they wanted Maya to know it’s okay and that everyone was cheering for her.
Comparing the two perspectives, Maya feels upset and embarrassed, but the person in the audience just wanted to support her and didn’t see it as a big deal. Maya focuses on her mistake, while the audience member focuses on being supportive and proud of her effort.
Lila had always been afraid of heights, but today was the day of the class field trip to the adventure park, and everyone was excited to try the zipline. As they got closer to the platform, Lila’s hands started to shake, and her heart raced. She thought about staying behind, but then she saw her friends cheering each other on and having fun. She took a deep breath and decided she didn’t want to miss out. With a nervous smile, Lila stepped up, clipped on her harness, and jumped. As she soared through the air, her fear faded away, replaced by a sense of excitement and pride.
Using the CER strategy, write a response explaining how Lila’s feelings change in the story. Include your claim, evidence from the text, and reasoning to support your answer.
**Example Answer:**
Lila’s feelings change from being scared to feeling excited and proud. At the beginning of the passage, it says, “Lila had always been afraid of heights,” and as they got closer to the platform, “her hands started to shake, and her heart raced.” But after she decided to try the zipline, it says, “As she soared through the air, her fear faded away, replaced by a sense of excitement and pride.” This shows that Lila started off feeling very scared because of her fear of heights. However, after seeing her friends having fun and deciding to give it a try, she overcame her fear. By the end, Lila felt proud of herself for facing her fear. This change shows that Lila was able to push past her fear and discover that trying something new could be exciting.